Protect yourself against data loss / corruption & encryption-based ransomware. As well as a secure online backup service we also recommend that you have a local onsite backup for additional protection and fast recovery. Both backups are very important to have.

The risk of data corruption & malware infection is increasing with new infections rapidly spreading every hour of every day.

Data loss can be deleted files, formatted hard drives or simply a lost USB / external drive. Corruption can occur at any time, hard drive damage, system updates, viruses and more can cause system corruption.

What is an encryption-based ransomware?

Encryption-based ransomware, such as CryptoWall, CryptoLocker, and TorrentLocker, will encrypt files stored on computers, and even on network drives & some cloud storage. Once infected, you are left with the option to pay the ransom to regain access to your files stored on the computer or storage device.

Put an end to malware infections, here are some tips and tricks to avoid becoming another victim of ransomware.

Keep your operating system updated.
Outdated computer systems are more vulnerable to attacks. It is essential to perform regular software and operating system updates to improve the security of your systems.
Install a reputable Internet security suite

Avoid suspicious files.
Think twice before opening email attachments or clicking files from unknown sources. Watch out for suspicious files with hidden file-extensions such as “.pdf.exe”

Multi-version backups are your best weapon against ransomware.
Encryption-based ransomware is becoming very sophisticated and may not be detected by anti-malware software in time. Once infected, you will be locked out from your own data and there is still no guarantee you can retrieve your data even after paying the ransom! It is highly recommended to perform routine backups to restore infected files and minimize damage. Take advantage of multi-version backup — a robust backup solution allowing you to restore previous versions of the infected files.

Backup your computer to a NAS drive or External Storage drive on a timed basis.
Backup NAS to cloud storage

If you are a business you may also choose to:

Backup NAS to expansion units
Offsite backup to another NAS
Back up your PC data to NAS
Having a backup version of your data prevents you from having to pay an extortion fee to unlock your own data. Create a multi-version backup for quick restoration. A cloud backup is the perfect solution to back up data stored on your computer to NAS servers. You can retain up to 32 historical versions of a single file, allowing you to restore files to a previous state.

Back up NAS data to other destinations
Backing up locally just might not be enough should a more destructive ransomware attack shared folders on your NAS server through accessing file services on your PC. The best way to prevent this is to add another layer of protection by having uninfected backup versions stored in an offsite location. If you fall victim of ransomware, you can still access data stored at different locations.

Steps to take when discovering ransomware infection
In the unfortunate event that you have encountered a ransomware attack, do not fret. Turn off your WiFi or unplug your network cable—make sure you disconnect yourself from the internet immediately. The next step is to have your computer system completely wiped clean of infection. Make sure your computer is at a clean state before restoring previous versions of files that were backed up via your backup features.